Friction coupling for valve actuators



March 24, 1953 c. HoLLr-:RITH 2,632,473

' FRICTION couPLING FOR VALVE AcTUAToRs Filed Dec. 29, 1945 E #1L/m55 HULL/5mm Patented Mar. 24, 1953 .2;632A73fy FRICTION C OUPLING FOR VALVE ACTUATORS Charles; Hollerith', Jackson,Mich., assignon to Lake State.A Products, Inc.. Jackson, Mich.f,. af. corporation of...Michigan ApplicationvDecemherZQ, 1945, Serial No.'l 63833141 ZLCIaimSf... (Cl. 13,7---7069l TheL-presentilinvention relatesito .improvementsina dishwashers and they. like, being. particularly concerned with the drainvalve. mechanism, and is;y considered to be an improvement overv` copendingiapplication Serial No. 638,273; filed De cember 29, 1945.

Thea-improvements herein disclosed? relateto? washing apparatusofthe typev in whicha propelier or .impeller or itslequivalent-is employedAk througifrethis opening a vertical shaft carryingranagitator at' one end andiiaving;drivingv connections at itsroppositeend.- TheL drain valvehas been arranged concentricallyf with the drive shaft, and:` reference may be hadto United -States patentsy toe-Davis,- No. 1,919,541J and to^-Huppz mann,-.No-. 1022,63?.

Accordingjiton the-present invention, the driven shaft which carriesu and drives the agitator also carries1the-drainvalve, theA agitator andlthe drain valve beingrraisedd and" lowered together.

In the preferredarrangement;.the drive shaft of the..,agitator merely carries` the drainNalve.

with` the movement impartedthereto being conned to a creeping action of the drain valve relative to its seat, which is very beneficial to its sealing operation. The arrangement of the construction is such that a minimum number of parts are required in the fabrication of the drain valve and agitator unit.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention resides in an improved drain valve and agitator assembly for a washing apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drain valve agitator assembly for washing machines, in which the drain valve and agitator are carried by a central driven element.

Another object is to provide a drain valve for dishwashers and the like in which the valve has a tendency to creep on its seat to assure sealing over long periods of use. Y

These and other objects and advantages present in their arrangement, construction, and combination of parts will be more fully appreciated from a consideration of the following de.- ,Scrption and the appended claims.

In; thef drawingsthe figure is.; a: fragmentary View..A shown in vertical; crossssection, of. the.V drain; valve and agitator or imnellerf assembly'. embodying the present inventions. the; motor housingyand motorbeing shown only lin elevation.

As shown, the washing pandI rinsing vat |10; has;- a-.centralopening--v I2 closed; byV thev drainrrsumpj I4; the.l conical portion of whichdenes aaseat; lffor the valve.I I8; Screws; Zrmay be: employed: to: support thesump.` I4in position-` Anoutlet 22i1'may connect-:witha sui-table,- drantpipenot; shown) A suitablefnon-metallic'sealing ring;` 24": mounted inVV a grooveA 26 engages'. with `afseati' I'Bffto close the drain open-ing.;

Snpportedgfrom' thefsump4 lil,T through a-.-.suite able-bracket 2,8 isyanV electricmotor Soaproviiied.A with a driving;` sha-ft 32. Between.v thedriving,L shaftv 32- and the ydriven shaft 34. isfa centrif. uga-l'` coupling unit 36,` comprising,- a,v collar y38e fixed-tothe shaft 32 by apin limanda collar. 42 adjustablyxedto the' shaft 34rbyfa1set screw.'l 44; Weigh-ts,46hing,ed to thecollar38 thr-.oug-lrI pinsfllfand rto the collar-42.- through hingedlinks.V 5B1 are thrownfout intoi the; dottedf lineeposition. by centrifugal actionfvvhenthe moton isopera ating. A spring 52o positioned'between thereon larsf and- 4?.= is compressedvbyg thisY y.action2 It.v will-abeV noted 'that theV shaft- 3'41 has; its ende.y 5.4:j supported for axial movementgdrrrtheruppersendf. of@ the.V collar; 38.-,.

The: shaft@ 3st` extends; upwardlyf; throughz the: central support 5,6.- wit-h1rotationaltsupnont beaablefzconstruction' Gils. isfprovidedi abovezztneL-busire insti, 581` At? the;- .uplla' ends 62,- thai. Shaft v 34?; of reduced diameter to provide a shoulder 64 for the washer 66. Bearing rings 68 supported in grooves lll in the arced side of the support 56 give axial and rotational support to the valve I8 through engagement with a tubular central portion 'l2 thereof. The impeller 14 is fixed to the shaft 34 by a screw 16. A spring washer 18 is located between the impeller 'd4 and valve I8, with the Washers and 82 taking the wear of relative rotation between the parts. A similar washer is indicated at 84. It is to be understood that the valve I8 is free from the rotational forces of the shaft 34 except for the friction provided by the washer 18.

In operation, with the motor 3G oi, the spring 52 will lift the shaft 3d into the full-line position shown in the drawings. In this position, the valve I8 is in its open position, being supported on the shoulder 64. When the motor 30 is turned on, the shaft 34 rotates and is lowered by the centrifugal action of the weights 46. During the short interval required to lower the shaft 34, the slight friction provided by the spring 18 will cause the valve I8 to at least partially rotate before the sealing ring 24 fully engages with the seat i8. When the motor 3|) is up to full speed, the valve I8 is firmly closed and at rest upon its seat I6. At the same time, the impeller 14 is rotating with the shaft 34 as a unit. The tendency for the valve I8 to creep upon starting and stopping of the motor will assure uniform wear of the sealing ring 24 and keep the seat I6 wiped clean of foreign matter.

It is to be understood that the control of the drain valve solely through the driven shaft which rotates the impeller 'E4 is an outstanding feature of the present development.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a dishwasher having a vat with a central drain opening, a vertical shaft which is continuously rotated with said opening closed and liquid retained within the vat and extending through said opening into said vat and means for rotating and axially raising and lowering said shaft, a valve mechanism for controlling the draining of liquid from said vat through said opening comprising a xed valve seat associated with said opening and concentric with said shaft and providing a relatively large annular area contacted by its valve member, a valve member concentric with said shaft,

structure for guiding said valve member along the longitudinal axis of said shaft to and from engagement with said seat and for rotational movement about the axis of said shaft relative to said seat, means engaging with said valve member to move the same from its seat upon axial movement of said shaft in a valve opening direction, an operative connection between said shaft and said valve member for urging said valve member toward its seat upon rotation of said shaft upon movement of said shaft in a valve closing direction, said connection including a frictionaly drive structure between said valve member and said shaft tending to rotate said valve member with said shaft, the frictional area of said frictional drive being relatively small as compared with the area of frictional engagement between said valve member and its seat with the frictional resistance to relative rotation of the larger of said areas being greater than the smaller of said areas whereby said frictional drive is ineffective to rotate said valve relative to its seat with said valve member in its fully closed position and engaging with said relatively large area.

2. In combination with a dishwasher having a vat with a central drain opening, a vertical shaft which is continuously rotated with said opening closed and liquid retained within the vat and extending through said opening into said vat and means for rotating and axially raising and lowering said shaft, a valve mechanism for controlling the draining of liquid from said vat through said opening comprising a fixed valve seat associated with said opening and concentric with said shaft, a valve member concentric with said shaft, structure for guiding said valve member along the longitudinal axis of said shaft to and from engagement with said seat and for rotational movement about the axis of said shaft relative to said seat, means on said shaft engaging said valve member to move the same from its seat upon axial movement of said shaft in a valve opening direction, said valve member being lowered on said guiding structure into engagement with said seat upon movement of said shaft in a valve closing direction, said means engaging with said valve member to move it from its seat including a frictional drive structure upon said shaft tending to rotate said valve member with said shaft, whereby said valve member assumes different relative rotational positions with respect to said seat upon repeated opening and closing operations.

CHARLES HOLLERITH.

REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,089,995 Venge Mar. 10, 1914 1,123,876 Hiddleson Jan. 5, 1915 1,342,419 Brenner June 8, 1920 1,919,541 Davis July 25, 1933 1,942,417 Ferlin et al. Jan. 9, 1934 2,130,796 Grayson Sept. 20, 1938 2,263,515 Pezzillo Nov. 18, 1941 2,312,290 Smith et a1 Feb. 23, 1943 2,318,010 Panish May 4, 1943 2,479,688 Lindgren Aug. 23, 1949.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 491,624 Germany Feb. 12, 1930 

